The Strange Pony
by DustyStorm333
Summary: The Timberwolves have been howling way too much lately. In the middle of the night, Rainbow Dash finally found out why. And the pony behind it. This is the adventures that come.
1. What's happening?

p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Howl!/strong Rainbow Dash started awake, then groaned./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""It's three in the morning!" She grumbled. The Timberwolves were howling for the third night in a row. They'd been acting really strange this year. She wondered why. Then she thought of what had happened yesterday. The six were at Sweet Apple Acres, trying to figure out what was happening. The six had heard another howl in the distance. "This howlin' ain't letting me sleep a wink." Applejack'd said. "The only thing that I can think of is that a year ago after those horrible plants of Discords came, the same thing'd happened. But why now?" Granny Smith had over heard this, and had come closer to say her two bits on the subject./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""I remember a story about this happening and what not. The story goes that there actually is a lone pony controlling span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"everything/span in the Everfree. No-pony knows her name, but it goes to say that she battles those Timberwolves, and keeping every pony safe. Says that she howls right back at 'em." Rainbow heard the wind, she had started to call it, howl back at the Timberwolves'. She got out of bed, curious./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Is it true?" She wondered aloud. She boldly (or was it foolishly?) got up and flung her wings out dramatically, in a way that Rarity would be proud of. She was about to leap out of her window when she heard anotherstrong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Howl!/strong. She flinched. She built up courage (or again, foolishness?) and leaped out of her window, towards the Everfree. Then the responding strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Howl!/strong launched her back a bit. It sounded like more of a wind howl then a Timberwolf cry. As she adjusted her direction, she wondered aloud "What would make such a loud sound if it wasn't just the wind? How big IS this pony?" She spotted a clearing close to where she thought that the sound was. She slowed and stopped on top of a tree, and marveled at what she saw. An tan earth pony was making wind circle around her in a dust devil of some sort. Then the Timberwolves strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Howled/strong at the mare. The dust devil type thing strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"howled/strongback./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;""What - the - heck?"/em Rainbow whispered in awe. The sun crept up the sky, and the Timberwolves backed off, giving one more strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Howl!/strongbefore running in fear(?) of the terrifying strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"HOWL!/strong that was given in response. The pony sagged from, what Rainbow thought, the stress of howling what Rainbow thought all night, and almost fainted after they left. Rainbow lightly touched down behind the...mare! What Granny'd said was true so far. The mare turned around, and was startled by Rainbow. The mare's green eyes widened with fear. Rainbow gawked at the mare. She was tan all over, even her mane was tan, although it was extremely flat against her, but Rainbow assumed that it was because she was working so hard, probably all night. Her saddle bags were covering her cutie mark. The mare backed away slowly from Rainbow. Rainbow was about to assure her that she was a friend, but her hooves were stuck. She looked down, and saw that the ground was crawling up her legs! She looked up at the mare to plead that she help, when she saw that the mare was sweating, concentrating on what was happening, not backing up anymore. SHE was the one doing this. The ground stopped at her flank. The mare sat down. She was gasping./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Did span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"he/span send you?" The mare asked between breaths. Rainbow sensed a mixture of admiration, respect and repulsion when she said 'he'. How that was possible or how she sensed it, she didn't know. She turned her mind to the question./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Who?" Rainbow asked./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Never mind." The mare said, relieved. She looked Rainbow up and down./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Who are you?" She asked./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""I'm Rainbow Dash, and I'm sorry that I startled you, but that was AWESOME, what you did there!" Rainbow replied, exited./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""How much of that did you see?" She asked, suspicious./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Just the last few howls. How did you span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"do/span that?!" Rainbow asked in reply./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Good." The ground crumbled away. "She's not a threat. Just let her be and she'll leave us be." The mare whispered. Rainbow strained to hear the whisper. The mare then turned to walk away, but then Rainbow stopped her./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Can I help you?" Rainbow asked the mare. The mare weakly chuckled./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Nothing you could help with." She sighed. Rainbow couldn't tell if she was annoyed, or just tired. "Good bye now." She walked towards the edge of the style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Whoosh!/em A dart shot into the mare. She fell. Rainbow looked at where the dart had come from. Two stallions decked in green came out of the bushes. Rainbow didn't even think, she just acted as she scooped up the mare and flew across the forest, towards the Friendship Castle. The stallions tried to follow, but they were earth ponies and soon got lost in the forest. As Rainbow flew across Ponyville, Pinkie looked up and saw the new pony instantly. "Somepony NEW!" And then went into party mode./p 


	2. Who's this?

p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Twilight! Twilight!" Rainbow Dash screams./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""I'm in here! What's the matter?" Twilight Sparkle was enveloped in her books. strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"CRASH!/strongem style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Typical Rainbow. What's wrong now?/emTwilight thought. Twilight looked at her clock. em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Wow, I've stayed up all night! What could Rainbow want at five in the morning?/em She comes out of the wall of books that she's enclosed in and is surprised by the blue pegasus mare carefully setting a tan earth pony mare on her couch./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Who is this, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, curious./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""I don't know, but she was being chased by the colts in green, and her head looks terrible. Can you help?"Rainbow asked, nervous for her newly rescued acquaintance./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""I can try. Let's just move her mane out of the way, and -" Twilight Sparkle gasped. The mare's mane crumbled at Twilight's touch, and then rematerialized where she'd wanted it./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Cool!" said Rainbow Dash./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""I have to nurse this wound, but after this is done, I have to research this. Could you stay with her until she wakes up?" Twilight asked./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Sure can do." Rainbow said with admiration. Twilight left after she tried some healing spells on the mare. Rainbow gawked at the mare again. "What else can you do?"/p  
p class="double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;"strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"Later.../em/strong/p  
p class="indented double" style="margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;"Applejack finally is at the castle. "Rainbow! Twilight! Where are you guys?" Applejack called up the stairs./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Up here Applejack!" Twilight called back. A minute later, she found the two upstairs. "I need another book. Where's that one on pony genetics?" Twilight trotted off./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Where's that mare that you carried off?" Applejack asked/p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Shhh." Rainbow closed the door behind her. "She's asleep. What's the matter?"/p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Well, I just wanted to tell you that -"/p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Twilight! Rainbow! Applejack!" Rarity called. The mystery mare snapped her eyes open. She shot straight up and was ready to run for the door, but Fluttershy and Rarity came up the stairs. The hallway was blocked. The mare heard four ponies outside./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Did you know that a new pony is in town?" Rarity asked. "Pinkie's throwing a party. We thought that we'd let you know." The tan mare heard the words said and backed away from the door finding a window./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Did somepony say something?" Twilight came in./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Pinkie's having a party for the new pony in town. We wanted to tell you." Rarity replied, and turned away from the door./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""The one that I brought in." Rainbow told Twilight. She opened the door. Rainbow was surprised as she saw the tan mare huff again. Dust settled on her back in the shape of folded wings. She turned around as if to leap out of the window. "Wait!"/p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Calm down, sweetie. We ain't aimin' t' hurt ya'. Come down from that thar winda'." Applejack tried to calm the stranger down./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""Thank you, Rainbow, for your help, but nothing you do can help me now." The mare replied softly. She flapped out of the window with the working red wings that she clearly didn't have a second ago, and flapped as fast as she could./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;"Rainbow followed her, and Applejack rushed down the stairs to help. "What's with them?" Rarity asked./p  
p class="indented" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: sans-serif; text-indent: 3em; color: #333333; line-height: 17.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;""That mare grew wings and flew away." Fluttershy replied. "Oh. That must have been the one that Pinkie's throwing the party for." Rarity sighed. "And I was wanting to make a new ensemble for the mare. Where did they go?" The two followed at a slower pace, while Twilight stayed to research the phenomenon that was that new mare./p 


	3. The Chase

"Twilight! Twilight!" Rainbow Dash screams. "I'm in here! What's the matter?" Twilight Sparkle was enveloped in her books. Twilight hears a CRASH! _Typical Rainbow. What's wrong now?_ Twilight thought. She comes out of the wall of books and is surprised by the blue pegasus mare carefully setting a tan earth pony mare on her couch.

"Who is this, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, curious. "I don't know, but she was being chased by the colts in green, and her head looks terrible. Can you help?" "I can try. Let's just move her mane out of the way, and -" Twilight Sparkle gasped. The mare's mane crumbled at Twilight's touch, and then rematerialized where she'd wanted it. "Cool!" said Rainbow Dash. "I have to nurse this wound, but after this is done, I have to research this. Could you stay with her until she wakes up?" "Sure can do."

A few minutes later, Applejack finally got to the castle. "Rainbow! Twilight! Where are you guys?" "Up here Applejack!" Twilight calls. A minute later, she found the two upstairs. "I need to find a book. Where's that one on pony genetics?" Twilight trotted off. "Where's that mare that you carried off?" Applejack asked. "You found out about that?" Rainbow asked.

"Shhh." Rainbow closed the door behind her. "She's asleep. What's the matter?" "Well, I just wanted to tell you that -" "Twilight! Rainbow! Applejack!" Rarity called. The mystery mare snapped her eyes open. She shot straight up and was ready to run for the door, but Fluttershy and Rarity came up the stairs. The hallway was blocked.

"Did you know that a new pony is in town?" Rarity asked. "Pinkie's throwing a party. We thought that we'd let you know." The tan mare heard the words said and backed away from the door, to the window. "Did somepony say something?" Twilight came in. "Pinkie's having a party for the new pony in town. We wanted to tell you." Rarity replied, and turned away from the door. "The one that I brought in." Rainbow told Twilight. She opened the door. Rainbow was surprised as she saw the tan mare huff again while she approached the window. Dust settled on her back in the shape of folded wings. She turned around as if to leap out of the window. "Calm down, sweetie. We ain't aimin' t' hurt ya'. Come down from that thar winda'." Applejack tried to calm the stranger down. "Thank you, Rainbow, for your help, but nothing you do can help me now." The mare replied softly. She flapped out of the window with the working red wings that she clearly didn't have a second ago, and flapped as fast as she could.

Rainbow followed her, and Applejack rushed down the stairs to help. "What's with them?" Rarity asked. "That mare grew wings and flew away." Fluttershy replied. "Oh. That must have been the one that Pinkie's throwing the party for." Rarity sighed. "And I was wanting to make a new ensemble for the mare. Where did they go?" The two followed.


	4. Her story (part 1)

_Why can't I get a break! They're trying to help us._ She cringed _. They can't. I need to get away. Then I can_ \- "Stop! Please!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "No! Leave me alone!" The she replied. "Please! We can help." They were flying close to the rooftops, and Rainbow was struggling to not hit anything. "No, you can't!" She was flapping furiously now. A flash of red covered her naturally green eyes, then vanished as she started falling.

The mare fell on top of Sugarcube Corner. The mare got up and shook herself off. The wings had disappeared. Great. Now I have to run. Come on, legs, run! She stumbled, and then fell off the roof.

Rainbow caught her. "Let me go! You CAN'T help me! Haven't I made that clear?!" The mare said. Rainbow seemed to not hear, or she ignored her. "Fine then. Do it the hard way, why don't you." She huffed.

A huge wind blew Rainbow back and onto the ground. Applejack caught up. The mare fell on top of the wind. She was floating on top of a cloud caught up in the wind. The wind died down.

A second later, a flock of birds carried the unwilling mare to now the group of four. "Thank you." Fluttershy said. The birds tweeted in reply, and then were off to their own business. Applejack literally pounced on the tan mare and sat on her. "Oof. Why won't you leave me alone?!" "I - we need to know why you're here, howling at the Timberwolves. And why you're running from the stallions in green." Rainbow replied. "Watch out. She looks dangerous." Applejack said.

"What's your name?" Rarity asked.

"Will you leave me alone if I told you?" The mare asked, frustrated. "Yes." They all replied. _Just get it over with_. She thought.

"Dusty, Dusty Dangerous." She huffed. An alicorn horn made of dust appeared. It turned solid, and glowed red, and Applejack was suddenly in the air. Dusty got up, put Applejack down, and shook her head. The horn dematerialized.

"Now excuse me, but I need to leave before those two come back." "Why are you running, dear?" Rarity asked. She was about to answer when a pink blur collided with her. "Party!" Pinkie bounced off with the unlucky mare. "We have to get Twilight. She'll know what to do." Applejack stated. The four trotted off to find Twilight.


	5. Her story (part 2)

"What are we supposed to do? Just sit here?" Twilight asks."The mare HAS to be tired. If you actually looked at her, she looked like she was running for days!" "But why's the questin'. Who's the darlin' runnin' from? And why?" Applejack asked. A tan earth mare scampered into the room and hid behind the Princess. "Keep that crazy pony AWAY from me!" Dusty pleaded. She trembled in fear.

Rarity was the first to reply. "Of course, darl-" "Only if'n ya' tell us why're here." Applejack interrupted. "Of course. ANYTHING. Just keep her away from me!" Dusty replied. "Hi, guys!" Pinkie Pie bounced in.

"Have you seen Dusty? I'm looking for - hey, there you are! Come on, let's get back to the party!" She started dragging the poor mare towards the door.

"Pinkie." Twilight said. "Please let the mare rest. Can't you see that she's tired?" "Gotcha, Twilight!" Pinkie let Dusty go, and she dropped to the floor. She sighed. "Thanks." She left consciousness a second later. "Wow, she WAS tired!" Pinkie replied.

One day later and the ponies could only speculate. Why is she running? What or who is she running from? Who exactly IS she? And the list goes on.

Dusty was lulled awake by singing. _Where am I? Oh, right. Those ponies_. She whistled to the birds. "Good morning to you too." _Do I HAVE to tell them? Promise. Ughh. Why? Better answer their questions truthfully. Ughh_. "Good morning, Ms. Dangerous." Twilight said. "Ah!" Dusty hadn't realized that she was there. "Follow me." Dusty checked that her saddle bag was secure. She followed Twilight to the door and stairs, and trotted down. _Better tell them about us now then later_. They came upon the door to the library. Dusty glanced at it as she walked by. She reversed directions and stopped at the door. Her eyes were flashing green. Twilight came to see why Dusty'd stopped. "Oh. You found the library. You like reading too?" Twilight asked. "Slap me." Dusty told her. "Wait, did you just say 'Slap me'?." Twilight asked, incredulous. "Just slap me." Twilight obliged. SMACK! The green left, and her blue came back. "Thanks." "You're as random as Pinkie." Twilight sighed. "Who?" Dusty asked. "Never mind." Twilight said. Dusty sniffed the air.

Pancakes?! I haven't had a decent meal in days. She followed the wonderful smell. "...And then I saw her battling off the Timber - Hey, Dusty, you're awake! I was just telling the girls how I found you." Dash said. Dusty sighed when she entered the dining room door. "Ahh." She sighed "Help yourself, Ms. Dangerous." Twilight replied as she walked in. Dusty saw the HUGE plate of pancakes on the table. "You don't need to butter me up, Princess Sparkle." She bowed. "My name is Dusty. I'll answer any questions you ask. Any of you." She noticed the other five seated at the table. "First of all, who are you, exactly?" Twilight cut to the chase. Dusty sighed.

"My name is Dusty Storm." She chose her words carefully. A few pancakes disappeared from the stack. She chewed. "Stallion, these are good! Best pancakes I've ever tasted." "How long were you out there?" Pinkie asked. Dusty thought for a bit. "A year or so. I think. Those black plants really helped." Dusty replied. "What were you doing when I saw you fighting the Timberwolves?" Rainbow started punching the air. "What do you mean?" More pancakes disappeared. Everypony was baffled by this except for Twilight. "You mean you WEREN'T trying to keep them away?" "Why would I want to keep them away? They were my only friends for the past year." Dusty replied. Everypony stared at her blankly. Except for Twilight and Fluttershy. "You actually formed friendships with the Timberwolves?!" Twilight asked, incredulous for the second time today. "Why, yes. They took me in when...Never mind." Rarity trotted over to pat her on the back. " I'm sorry, dear. We MUST take a brush to that mane! It looks dreadful." Rarity replied, quickly changing the subject. "A 'brush'? What's that?" Dusty replied.

Rarity fainted. "What's wrong with her?" Dusty asked. "A brush is something that you use to untangle your mane. Rarity practically LIVES for them." Twilight replied. "And most other mane-care products. How do you not know of a brush? Have you been living under a rock?" Dusty tried not to laugh. It didn't work. "Hahahahaha!" "What's so funny?" Twilight asked innocently. "I HAVE been! Hahahahaha!" She calmed down. "Ha. The lab - where I used to live - is under the mountain range on the other side of the Everfree." She suddenly stared off and shuddered. "Then HOW in Equestria do you untangle that mane of yours?!"

Rarity suddenly recovered from her faint. "Like this." Dust settled on her mane, and one by one, the dust circled her mane, and became a part of it. She had wavy, very dusty tan hair, mostly pulled back by a pony tail band. "There. All done." Dusty replied. "How DO you do that, anyway?" Rarity asked. "Yes. Your a earth pony. Earth ponies don't HAVE magic." More pancakes disappeared. "What do you mean?" She chewed thoughtfully.

"Oh. I have the capabilities of every race." She gulped. "Please pass the syrup." Twilight absent mindedly passed the syrup. "How?" Twilight asked, baffled. "I don't think that -" **Click**. She stiffened and cocked her ears. **Whoosh!** A dart shot by her ear. Her red wings reappeared when she saw the stallions at the door. "Never!" She shouted at them. She leapt out of the window as the stallions ran at her. She flew. The stallions yelled at the ones at the entrance. They leapt up to give chase. Rainbow Dash pounced on the one that was closest to her. "What are you trying to DO?!" Rainbow yelled in his face. "Rainbow! Stop this nonsense." Twilight scolded Rainbow. "It's our job, ma'am, Princess." He got up and bowed. Rainbow shot him a disgusted look, and then shot off after Dusty. "Wait! Please stop your friend there, Princess." He turned to plead to Twilight. "Why?" Twilight asked, curious. "That mare came from the mental facility a year ago, from the one at the other side of the forest. She can and will kill." He said seriously. Twilight shot off to follow Rainbow.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

 _Whoosh!_ Rainbow almost caught up with Dusty. "DUSTY!" She called. Dusty looked back at Rainbow. "Get away." She whispered. Oddly, Rainbow could hear her over the air rushing past her ears. "You could get in the crossfire. Go back." Rainbow was about to speak, but then something shot into her neck. She felt faint. She started to fall.


End file.
